Illuminating-gas apparatus



C. B. WARRING.

Gas Retort.

Patented Sept. 15, 1857.

CHARLES B. VARRING, OF' POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

ILLUMINATINGr-GAS APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,216, dated September 15, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. VARRING, of the city of Poughkeepsie, county of Dutchess, State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in the Apparatus for Generating Illuminating-Gas; and I do declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

To make gas properly it is necessary to know the temperature of the interior of the retort, since if the heat pass from the proper red to a white heat or thereabout the gas is to a certain extent decarbonized, and if the heat fall to a dull red or lower the gas generating material is but partially decomposed, loss ensuing, in either case. The method heretofore employed for ascertaining the temperature of the interior of the retort has been to look at the outside of the retort bottom, which of course is directly over the fire. The light of the fire reflected from the bottom prevents any accuracy, as it easily misleads the eye of the observer. My invention remedies this.

It consists of a tube (Figure l) B B extending from some distance say five or six inches without the retort through t-he cover, nearly or quite to the bottom thereof. Cn the upper end there is screwed an eye piece A, which prevents the gas from escaping and at the same time permits the operator to see the bottom of the retort. The part of the tube above the cover prevents the eyepiece from being too much heated by the heat from the retort. The part within is necessary as the cavity of the retort is lilled with fragments of hard coal bricks or other materials which would intercept the view of the bottom. It is therefore this combination of tube and eyepiece that I claim.

The eyepiece may be constructed in any way thought best but I prefer the following. A piece of mica or glass is fitted into the larger end of a three quarter reducing coupling such as are used by gas litters. A short piece of three quarter gas pipe is then screwed down upon it with a little putty making a gas tight joint. then screwed upon the end of a piece of half inch gas pipe which is then screwed into the retort cover.

The gas passes out of the retort through a bent pipe L M, Fig. l, into cooler or hydraulic main. This heretofore has been This coupling is l formed of an iron box with a cover secured by bolts and nuts and having its joints made air tight by a packing of putty or rubber or something similar all of which causes much delay and annoyance in putting the same together and in taking it apart. Hydraulic ma ins for coal gas works are made somewhat differently but have no easy method of inspecting their interior. I form my cooler or hydraulic main thus.

D, Fig. 2, is a cast iron box open at top. Cn each side a small inward projection a o c Z is cast of say four inches in height. Through the bottom a pipe H G rising about one inch above the level of the four projections a o c d, serves to carry the gas from the cooler toward the gasometer. IV is an inverted Siphon to discharge any moisture that may condense in H G. e f w is an inverted siphon the longer leg of which rises to a somewhat less height than H Cr. This serves to carry 01T the tar and surplus water. it 7i serves to empty the box when desired. E is a box Ofsmaller dimensions but of similar form save that the bottom F I J K is placed about three inches from the lower edge. Through this bottom there extends G H from a little above the upper edge down to the level of the lower edge or thereabout. This pipe conveys the gas into the lower box. At it is a hole with a pipe below extending some distance below the lower edges of the box.

IVhen in use the box E is placed in `D resting on a o c CZ. IVater is poured into E passing through z into D until it overflows through the Siphon. Then close 7L with a plug and nearly till E. The water will now stand above the bottom edge of E and thus make a gas tight joint. The pipe L M is made sufliciently large to go freely over H, dipping into the water nearly or quite to the bottom, thus making another gas tight joint. I claim this whole arrangement. The gas now passes through H Gr into the gasometer. This is usually done by carrying a pipe to the bottom of the cistern and thence up through the water to its surface. This requires what is called a dry well for the purpose of removing the condensed water which otherwise would stop the flow of the gas. This dry well is the source of much expense and annoyance. I avoid this by my invention as represented in Fig. 3. In this the gasometer is represented as sunk to the bottom of the water tank or cistern. N O P Q R T is an iron or metal pipe jointed at O P l Q. R (or as many of them as may be necessary). These joints may be formed in various Ways but I prefer to make them by screwing the pipe into common elbows used by steam titters tight on enough to inake the joint impervious to gas but allowing the pipes to move as the gasoineter rises. The united length of O'P and Q R is a foot or thereabout greater than the maximum height of the gasoineter. When therefore the gasometer begins to rise from the inflowing oi the gas, R T will be carried up with it and oi' course go farther from O which is rendered stationary by a fastening at U or by screwing the cooler to the iioor of the gas house. The condensed Water either iiows into the gasonieter or when that rises too high Hows back and is discharged by the' siphon lW. In order that P Q may always be higher than Vif O N a cord is attached at P passing over a pulley and having a sufioent Weight at the other end.

l. The eyepiece and tube in combination substantially as described above.

2. I claim the peculiar apparatus above described for conveying the gas into the gasholder.

CHARLES B. WVARRING.

lVitnesses ALFRED VVALTERS, A. N, BRUSH. 

